Blessed

      It's the week of Thanksgiving, and I keep hearing this word "blessed" a lot. Just this past weekend at church, I heard three different songs that included this word in one way or another. 

"I have been blessed, God's so good to me. Precious are His thoughts of you and me. No way could I count them, there's not enough time, so I'll just thank Him for being so kind. God has been good, so good. I have been blessed." 

"God's been good in my life. I feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams when I go to sleep each night. And though I've had my share of hard times, I wouldn't change them if I could, 'cause through it all, God's been good." 

"There's a roof up above me, I've a good place to sleep. There's food on my table, and shoes on my feet. You gave me your love, Lord, and a fine family. Thank you Lord, for all your blessings on me."

 I couldn't help but notice the trend. In each song, being blessed by God correlated with something good. When we think of blessings, we tend to think of all the good things God has done for us and given to us. However, when I look at Scripture, I see something a little different.

When Jesus is speaking in Matthew 5:3-12 He says,

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
  Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
  Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
  Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
  Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
   Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

     Is God good? Absolutely. Does He do good and give us good things? Absolutely. But do good things always constitute as being blessed by God? Absolutely not. I couldn't help but notice that in this passage of Scripture, being blessed doesn't necessary seem like a "good" thing in the way we classify "good" nowadays. We ask for God to bless us - to bless our lives, to bless our plans, to bless our families and friends, to bless our churches and communities, to bless our nation - But do we really understand what we're asking for? How many times do we use this word without really grasping what it means? We are essentially asking to be poor, to be sad, to be hungry and thirsty, to be persecuted, to be insulted and lied about. Being blessed by God does not mean an easy and simple life. It does not mean you get to go from rags to riches. It does not mean you receive instant fame and success. It does not mean all your problems go away, and it does not mean you always get the answers you're looking for. There is a quote I love that says, "I'm thankful for my struggle, because without it I would not have stumbled across my strength." God's blessings often come in the form of obstacles to be overcome, obstacles that become opportunities. God uses our struggles to grow us and strengthen us.
     A blessing is defined as "God's favor and protection." We have found favor with God. What do you typically think of with someone who is "the favorite." I usually think of the "favorite" child in families with multiple siblings, or the "teacher's pet" at school. These are the people who tend to get away with wrongdoing. Parents and teachers tend to look the other way when they mess up. They may find excuses for their behavior, or they may discipline them, but in either circumstance they freely offer forgiveness. They take their side and stand up for them in times of trouble. They privately correct them, and publicly reward them. In Christian terms, we call this grace. We call it mercy. I've heard it said that mercy is when you don't get what you do deserve, and grace is when you do get what you don't deserve. God gives us grace and mercy, not because of anything we have done, but because He loves us. We are His beloved. We have found favor in His eyes. Unmerited favor.

     In the same way a parent disciplines a child, so God disciplines and chastises His children. He chastises because He loves us, because He wants what is best for us. This is a form of His blessing. Proverbs 3:3-6 and 11-12 says, "Let not mercy and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths... My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves, He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights." 

     We need to shift our perspective. We need to learn to recognize our hardships as blessings in disguise. We need to see the good in the not-so-good situations. We need to see that in every trial we endure, there is a lesson to be learned. God is using these hard times to teach us. He wants to grow our faith, and strengthen our spirit, and He knows what it takes to get through to us. I'm grateful for all the good things God has done in my life, but God is still good even when the world around us and the battle within us seems far from good. If it wasn't for the bad, we wouldn't even know what the good looked like. 

     I recently watched the movie "Inside Out" which is basically a cartoonized version of our emotions. The basic premise of the movie is it gives human-like characteristics to the emotions of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. It follows the adventures of these emotions as they fight for control in the mind of the main character. 

      As in life, Sadness often gets a bad rap. She's a bit of a downer, and the other emotions are always trying to push her out of the way. They don't want her to touch anything, for fear that she'll mess up everything. Joy always seems to be working overtime to compensate for the damage she felt Sadness has done. But in the end, we learn that Sadness actually played a valuable role. We learn that some of the most joyous memories were preceded by moments of sadness. Those joyful memories would not have been possible without the sadness. 

     We experience this so much in life. When your friends show up to cheer you up after a bad day, and manage to make you laugh when all you want to do is cry. When your mom takes care of you when you're sick, and comforts you when you're sad. When you sit around and reminisce with friends and family about loved ones who have passed, and you find yourself laughing through the tears. These are the moments when joy and sadness intersect, and it is beautiful. These are moments to be thankful for.

     When we think of blessings as only the good things in our life, then we are cutting God short. We are limiting God by putting Him in a box. God uses the good, the bad, and the ugly. He works all things together for good. Don't for a moment think that because your life looks like a chaotic mess right now that God can't use you. Don't for a moment think you are not blessed and highly favored by God simply because there is not a lot of "good" going on in your life right now. You are God's beloved. You are chosen by God. You are called and set apart for a particular purpose. God has a plan for your life. He can take a messed up situation and turn it around for His glory. He is capable of far more than we give Him credit for. He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we could ever ask or imagine. He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.

     Take a look back at Scripture, and look at the lives of those who were considered to be blessed by God - the patriarchs, the prophets, the disciples and apostles. Look at the difficulties they endured. Look at the hardships they faced. Look at their sins and mistakes, and how God bestowed His grace. If a single blessing, good or bad, had been withheld then where would we be now? If the lineage of our Savior had been filled with only good things, good people, good situations - then we wouldn't even have a Savior. Our joy and salvation is birthed though the pain and struggle.

     So when you count your blessings this year, count the confounding foolishness. Count the sadness and tears. Count the heartache. Count the sickness. Count the losses. Count the trials. Count the loneliness. Count the struggles. Count the hardships. Count every difficulty you've endured, and every one you're still enduring. Count every obstacle you overcame and everyone you're still striving to overcome. If it made you stronger, it counts. If it taught you a valuable lesson, it counts. If it led you to a person or place you needed in your life, it counts. James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

     We are blessed. God has blessed us with good things. He has blessed us with bad things. He has blessed us with the seemingly average and insignificant things. He has blessed us with easy days, and hard days. He has blessed us with strengths, and He has blessed us with weaknesses. God is good. His goodness doesn't change based on the goodness of our days. His goodness doesn't change with the seasons in our life. Through the highs and lows, through the calm and the storm, God's goodness is unchanging. He is always good, always faithful, always true. Thank You, Lord, for your blessings on me!

Finding Comfort in the Uncomfortable

In Jeremiah 27, the Lord tells Jeremiah to make a yoke and fasten it on his neck with leather straps. It's uncomfortable. Then he tells him to send a message, calling the people to submit to the yoke of the king of Babylon. Again, it's uncomfortable.

Later that year, a false prophet named Hananiah comes along and tells them that God will remove the yoke from their necks. He tells them that within two years God will bring back all of their treasures that were carried off to Babylon and will bring back the captives. His message was comforting to them at that time, but it was simply not true. They were being comforted with a lie - something they would always be hoping for, but never see come to pass.

Then, in Jeremiah 29, God gives them a true promise. Jeremiah sends a letter to the people who had been exiled to Babylon, and in this letter he tells them,"Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare" (v. 5-7). He is telling them to get comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. Sometimes God's promise doesn't come in the form of a hopeful breaking of the yoke. Sometimes the truth hurts. Sometimes God's promise does not mean your yoke will be lifted in two years. Sometimes God's promise means the slavery continues, the captives remain, and the treasures are not returned. Sometimes God's promise requires 70 years of endurance. It may not be easy to understand, and it may not be easy to accept, but one thing you can be sure of is that God's promise is TRUE. The truth may be harsh, but the hope is REAL. God doesn't comfort us with lies. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?" In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.." God doesn't just speak truth, He is truth. In John 14:16-17 Jesus says the Holy Spirit is our Comforter, and He leads us into all truth. In verse 27 He says, "I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." We have no reason to fear, no reason to doubt. What better to be comforted by than the truth? Or better yet, who better to be comforted by than the truth?

So when God says get comfortable, you can trust you're going to be there for a while. When God says you're going to be in slavery for another 70 years, then you're going to be in slavery for another 70 years. But the beauty of it all is that God's promise doesn't end there.

Jeremiah 29:10-14 says,

"This is what the Lord says: 'You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,' says the Lord. 'I will end your captivity and restore you fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.'"

God will lead you to uncomfortable situations, but He won't abandon you there. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. He has a plan and a purpose for all things. He has led us here and now for a reason. Every season has a reason.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says,

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born, and a time to die. 

A time to plant, and a time to harvest. 

A time to tear down, and a time to build up. 

A time to cry, and a time to laugh. 

A time to grieve, and a time to dance. 

A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather stones. 

A time to embrace, and a time to turn away. 

A time to search, and a time to quit searching. 

A time to keep, and a time to throw away. 

A time to tear, and a time to mend. 

A time to be quiet, and a time to speak. 

A time to love, and a time to hate. 

A time for war, and a time for peace."

The changing seasons of life were not meant to leave us unchanged. They are meant to grow us, to strengthen us, and to transform us more into the image of Christ. But as C.S. Lewis said, "Mere change is not growth." He went on to say, "Growth is the synthesis of change and continuity, and where there is no continuity there is no growth." In these changing seasons of life, we find our continuity in the unchanging truth of God. We find our consistency in the God who's love never fails and mercy never ends (Lamentations 3:22-23). He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). He is our constant source of hope. Hebrews 6:17-19 says, "God bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary."

We can learn from the past because God has been faithful before, and we can hope for the future because God will be faithful forevermore, but we need to learn to live in the present - because God is faithful now. He is the great I AM. He is a here-and-now kind-of God. We need to live in the present moment and enjoy His presence with us. Everything in the past has led us to where we are now, and where we are now will lead us where He has prepared for us next. The situation may not be comfortable now, but we can find our comfort in Him. The season may be changing now, but we can find our consistency in Him.

Embrace the uncomfortable - We discover strengths we never knew we had when we reach beyond the borders of comfort zones.

Embrace the change - The greatest transformations occurs through the most difficult trials and transitions.

We can find contentment in the chaos when we put our hope and trust in God.

We need to follow the advice God gave in Jeremiah 29. We need to submit to the yoke of slavery. We need to settle down and get comfortable where we are now, because God has us here for a reason. We may not be where we want to be, but we are where we need to be. God always has our best interest at heart. Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Submitting to the will of God may be uncomfortable at first, but that's only because it's unfamiliar to us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, so in Him we find all the comfort we will ever need. That's why God told the people to build homes, plant gardens, and start families. He wanted them to be comfortable. He wanted them to be blessed, not burdened. God is in control, and in His sovereignty He will lead us where we need to be. But we have free-will, and in our freedom we determine how things unfold once we get there. If we choose to dwell in the past and look back with longing for how things used to be, then we will always be miserable. Likewise, if we choose to be comforted with lies, then we will find ourselves watching and waiting for an immediate deliverance that will leave us disappointed time and time again.

Ecclesiastes 3:10-13 says,

"I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God." 

God makes all things beautiful in time. He is working all things together for good, and we will rejoice in time to come, but for now we need to enjoy the moment we've been given. We serve a God who is big enough, and good enough, to make the uncomfortable comfortable. When you pray, He will listen. When you seek, He will be found. And, in time, He will fulfill all that He has promised. Trust in His plan. Trust in His promise.

Deep Waters

"When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you."

~ Isaiah 43:2 NLT ~

     "God brings you through deep waters because He knows your doubts can't drown on dry ground." 

- Pastor Stephen Furtick, "Creating Separation"

I've never been a fan of deep water. It scares me. When I was younger, I would stand at the edge of the shallow end, and if my feet began to slip out from under me I would panic. I would make my way around the edge of the pool by holding tightly the sides, and if my fingers began to slip I would panic. When my mom tried to teach me how to float she would hold me just above the water and tell me to relax, but as soon as she let go I would panic. There's something about being in the midst of something more powerful than you. When it overtakes you and you lose control, it can be really scary. It's the same way with God. He's so big, so powerful. And when we surrender to His will and way in our lives, it's like we can feel our legs starting to come out from under us. We can feel our fingers slipping.  The water starts rising above our head, the current starts to carry us away, and it is terrifying. But do do you know what I eventually learned? I learned to trust my mom. Eventually, after a lot of flailing and failing, I learned to float. All I had to do was take a deep breath, lift my body up above the water, relax, and let the water carry me. It's so peaceful to just float above the water and let yourself be carried by something bigger and more powerful than you. That's how it feels in the arms of God. That's how it feels when you ultimately surrender to His call and discover the peace that surpasses all understanding. Not only did I learn to float, but I also learned that if I slipped into the deep end, all I had to do was start kicking my feet and moving my arms. I had to put forth some effort, but it was possible to stay above the water, and it was worth it. Those times when I let go of my firm grip on the edge, those moments when I let go of my fear and just jumped right in - that's when I had the most fun. I learned to swim. I learned to trust. We miss out on so much when we spend our lives in the shallow end, consumed by fear. There's so much more to see and explore just beyond the borders of our comfort zone. We are capable of so much more than we choose to settle for. The power of Christ working in our lives can take us deeper than our feet could ever wander, further than our minds could ever imagine. 

When I think about deep waters, I think about the Israelite's standing at the edge of the Red Sea, looking out at the waters, knowing their enemies were approaching quickly, and feeling completely overwhelmed. They were so consumed by their doubts and fears that they were ready and willing to admit defeat, turn back, and return to the bondage of slavery. Why is that we will surrender to the will of the enemy more quickly than we will surrender to the will of God? It's because our minds can't even fathom what God is capable of. The Israelite's only saw two options: return to slavery and live, or stay trapped at the edge of this water and die. But our God is a God who makes a way where there seems to be know way. Surrendering to His will means surrendering to option #3 - which requires trusting in what you cannot see, to do what seems impossible. We serve a God who has the power to separate deep waters with the breath of His Spirit so that we can walk across on dry ground. We serve a God who can release the walls of water at any moment so that the fears and doubts of our past are drowned in the depth of the sea. This is why He calls us to deep waters. This is how He displays His glory. This is how He shows the magnitude, the depth, of His love and grace. Could God have found an easier way to get the Israelite's to safety? Absolutely. He probably could have found them a place to hide out, or maybe He could have taken them along a different path. They may have escaped, but they would have continued to live in fear, knowing their enemies could reappear at any moment. If God had chose a more feasible path, they may have thought they made it out by their own strengths and abilities. But God does the impossible, so we know it is Him at work in us. God does the impossible so that our fears and doubts cannot resurface. God does the impossible so that we will learn to trust Him.

When I think about trusting God in deep waters, I think about Peter. It's easy to step out when God's holding the water back for you and you're walking across on dry ground. It's another thing to step out on the water, in the midst of a storm nonetheless. A lot of times people tend to give Peter a hard time in this passage. They use it as a "what not to do" kind-of message by focusing on the fact that he eventually took his eyes of Jesus and began to sink. But I choose to focus on what Peter did right. The strength of his faith amazes me, and I admire his so much for what he does in this passage. What I love about Peter is not just what he did by stepping out of the boat, but I think a lot of his faith came from the words he spoke. He says, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." Peter knew what Jesus could do. He had seen him calm the storm before. He could have easily said, "Lord, if it's really you, come to us and calm this storm." But he didn't, Peter wanted to go deeper. He saw where Jesus was, and He wanted to be there. He saw what Jesus could do, and He wanted to do it. That is what we are called to do as Christians. We are called to be like Christ. Jesus didn't come to this earth to suffer and die so that we could stay in the boat and call him to come rescue us when we got in trouble. He came to this earth to suffer and die so that we could receive the power of the Holy Spirit. He came to this earth to suffer and die so that we might take up our crosses and follow him. He came so that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. He came because He had a purpose and a mission for us. Jesus wants to go deeper, He has called us outside of our comfort zones. That's where He can use us. It requires trust, it requires obedience, and it requires faith. Are we really willing to say, "Lord, if it's really you, tell us to come to you walking on the water?" Because we already know what Jesus' answer is going to be. He's going to say, "Yes, Come." Then there's no turning back. Like Peter, we'll have to step out of the boat and start walking on the water - something beyond ourselves, something that seems impossible, something only God could do. And like Peter, when we'll eventually take our eyes off Jesus and start paying attention to the wind and waves around us. When that happens, we'll give in to our fears and begin to sink. It's not going to be easy. He didn't promise it would be easy, but He did promise to be our strength in times of weakness. It's not going to be comfortable. He didn't promise it would be comfortable, but He did promise the Holy Spirit to be our Comforter. Jesus knows that we will stumble and fall. He knows we will fail. And he is ready to reach out and save us when the need arises. When Peter cried, "Save me, Lord" Jesus did not hesitate to reach out and save him. Scripture says He immediately reached out and grabbed him. 

Jesus doesn't call us out to deep waters for us to drown. He calls us out to deep waters so that He can drown our doubts. Jesus used Peter as an example. When they got back in the boat, all the disciples who had been convinced they had seen nothing other than a ghost, fell down and worshiped, declaring Jesus to be the Son of God. That's what God can do through you, if you'll just step outside your comfort zone. That's what God can do through you, if you'll just ask Him to take you deeper. How much faith does it take to step outside of a boat and walk on waves in the middle of a storm? Not a lot. In fact, when Peter began to sink, Jesus asked him "Why do you have so little faith? Why did you doubt me?" Look at what Peter did with so little faith. If we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Nothing is impossible when we put our hope and trust in the power of Christ working through us. Just a few chapters later, Jesus tells Peter, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." If we really want God to use us, if we really want to make a difference in His Kingdom - We have to have a little faith. We have to step out on our mustard seed faith. We have to trust God to do what seems impossible. We have to obey and follow where He leads. He won't abandon us. He promised to be with us through the deep waters. He promised we wouldn't drown in the rivers of difficulty.

As the boat drifts further away from shore, as the winds rage and the waves crash around us, we can rest assured. We have an Anchor to hold us firm and secure. We have a Light shining in the distance, illuminating our way to safety. We have a God above us who spoke the wind and waves into existence. We have a Savior among us, walking towards us on the water. He is calling us out. He is calling us to Him. He has power to calm the storm with His still small voice. He will reach out and save us when our strength fails. All around us, God is with us. He will never leave or forsake us. Why fear the wind and waves, when the God who controls them lives within us? It's time to step out. It's time to go deeper.

"Lord, if it's really you, tell us to come to you walking on the water."

Expectation

     "Expectation is the root of all heartache." I heard this quote from a friend recently and it really stuck with me. It is a quote that is attributed to William Shakespeare, but it is actually a paraphrase. The original quote is from his play, "All's Well That Ends Well" and it reads:

"Oft expectation fails, and most oft there

Where most it promises, and oft it hits,

Where hope is coldest, and despair most fits."

     When I first heard this quote, my immediate reaction was that I completely agreed. "Expectation is the root of all heartache." Absolutely. You expect things to turn out a certain way, and they never do. You expect people to act a certain way, and they never do. Expectations always end up letting you down and leave you feeling disappointed. I was reminded of that phrase, "What screws us up the most in life is the picture in our head of how it's supposed to be." But I quickly realized that it's not our expectations that lead to heartache, it's who we expect it from. If we put our expectation in man, yes, we will end up heartbroken and disappointed. Mankind is flawed. We are sinful people. We can strive to live up to the expectations people set for us, but we will almost always fall short. We can make promises, and we can genuinely desire to change our ways and live up to the promises we make, but we are imperfect people. We will let ourselves down, we will let those we love down, and we will let God down. When you put your trust and expectation in mankind, you will end up disappointed. BUT when we put our trust and expectation in God, and when we put our hope in the promises HE has made for us, then we will never be disappointed. God CANNOT and WILL NOT fail us. God IS love (1 John 4:8). He is the embodiment of love. He is loved defined. And 1 Corinthians 13:8 tells us that Love NEVER FAILS. God will never fail us, and God can never lie to us. Jesus assures us of this in John 14:6 when He says, "I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life." Jesus IS truth. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not human that He should lie, not a human being that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?" Hebrews 6:17-19 says, "Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure." When we put our hope in the promises of God, we can rest assured that God will do what He has said He will do. He cannot fail us, and it is impossible for Him to lie to us. Mankind will let us down, but God never will. God is on our side. He is fighting for us. Romans 8:28 assures us that He is working all things together for our good. Even when we can't see it, and even when we can't feel it, we can trust that God is at work behind the scenes. He is in control, and He is orchestrating everything together for good. Something beautiful is about to unfold. Put your trust in God. Believe with all your heart that He is able to do what He has said He will do and that He is faithful to fulfill all that He has promised to do.
     If anyone had reason to doubt the promises of God, it was Abraham. God promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations, with as many descendants as there were stars in the sky. But by the time Abraham was 100 years old, and his wife was way past the age to bare children, that seemed like an impossible promise. Yet, Abraham continued to hope for all those years. Against all hope, he continued to believe in hope. Romans 4:20-21 says, "Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised." 

Why do do we doubt the power of God? Why do we doubt God's ability to do what He has promised?

Why do we choose to put our trust in man, rather than in the God who created man in His image?

In the storms of life, why do we fear the waters rather than the God who controls the storm and sea?

Jeremiah 5:22-25 (NLT) says, 

"Have you no respect for me? Why don't you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean's sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set. But my people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned away and abandoned me. They do not say from the heart, 'Let us live in awe of the Lord our God, for He gives us rain each spring and fall, assuring us of a harvest when the time is right.' Your wickedness has deprived you of these wonderful blessings. Your sin has robbed you of all these good things."

     So many times, our lack of faith (our unbelief) keeps us from experiencing the full extent of blessings God wants to pour out over our lives. It goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Why did Eve fall into sin? She was tempted of Satan because she believed his lies over the TRUTH of God. She was led astray because she did not BELIEVE that what God had said was true. When Jesus walked this earth, how many times  did He assure those He healed that it was their FAITH that had made them well? In Matthew 9 the woman with the issue of blood presses her way through the crowd. She does not say a word. She asks nothing of Jesus. She simply BELIEVES that He is who He says He is. She simply BELIEVES that He is able to do what she has SEEN and HEARD He is able to do. And she simply reaches out in FAITH. Luke's account of this story says that Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." In Mark 10 Jesus passes by a blind man. The man can't see. but he can HEAR that Jesus is near! We can't always see what God is doing in our lives, but if we listen closely we can hear Him! We can hear the evidence that He is living, and active, and at work around us. We just have to call out to Him, and He will answer. The blind man called out for Jesus in a desperate act of faith. He asked for nothing more than mercy, but God recognized His faith and granted him the desire of his heart. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus says. And the blind man replies, "I want to see." In verse 52 Jesus says, "Go, your faith has healed you." The man immediately receives his sight, and rather than return to his seat as a beggar, He follows Jesus along the road. When we come to God in faith, we will leave with overwhelming joy and peace. We will be able to follow God with more fervor and zeal than ever before. We will have a greater passion and desire to serve Him, and we will overflow with thanksgiving. Our lives will shine with the light of Christ, and others will be drawn to Him because of what they have seen and heard Him do in our lives. Put your hope and expectation in God. Trust in Him. Walk in faith, and see what He is able to do.

Matthew 13:15-17 says,

"For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them. But BLESSED are your eyes because they SEE, and your ears because they HEAR. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

      We stand in a unique place of honor with God. We are a blessed generation because we have seen and heard the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Messiah has come. He lived and walked on this earth. He died and was brought back to life. He is now seated on the right hand of God, and His Holy Spirit lives in and among us. Because we have experienced this, we have no reason to doubt the promises of God. Imagine where Eve stood. She was the first woman to ever walk this earth. It is true that she doubted the truth of God's spoken word, but she had no way of looking back and seeing His past faithfulness, and she had no way of looking forward and seeing the consequences of her actions. Imagine where Abraham stood. He could see only stars, a sign of the promise. He couldn't see the faces of the 12 tribes of Israel. He didn't have a Holy Book that listed each and every descendant by name - all representing a star, all representing a piece of the promise fulfilled. But here we stand. We can look all throughout history. We can see the faithfulness of God. We can see the consequences of disobedience. We can see the hope of glory. We can read in scripture, and study, and find all that our heart needs to rest assured that God is able to do what He says He will do. In the past, God's people could only experience God's presence through certain terms and conditions. It required a priest. It required a sacrifice. The presence of God resided in an ark that would strike you dead if you touched it or even came near it unworthily.You had to go through many different channels to receive pardon for your sins. But now, we have only ONE channel. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He became our sacrifice. He became our High Priest. He tore the veil, allowing us access into the Holy of Holies. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we can experience God's presence at any time. We don't have to go through a Priest to commune with the Savior. We have unlimited access to His presence and power. We can call on Him at any time, day or night.

And because we have SEEN His Goodness,

Because we have HEARD His Word,

Because we have FELT His Presence

Because we have EXPERIENCED His Faithfulness,

Because we KNOW that He is TRUTH and He cannot lie,

Because we KNOW  that He is LOVE, and He will not fail us,

We can TRUST Him. We can BELIEVE in Him. We can EXPECT great things from Him.

Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV) says that He is able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think."

Isaiah 55:9-11 (KJV) says,

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."

     In Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) God tells us that He has a plan for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give a us "a hope and a future." The KJV translates this by saying He plans to give us an "expected end." We can expect it. It is a sure thing. It is a good thing. God has a plan and a purpose for all things. He is in control of it all, and He is working all things together for good. His Word will not return void, but will accomplish all that He sets out for it to accomplish. When you put your trust in man, you can expect heartache. But when you put your trust in God, you can expect a hope and a future. You can expect your needs to be met and promises to be fulfilled. You can expect blessings and fruition far greater than anything you could ever imagine. You can expect it because God has been faithful before, and He will be faithful forevermore.

To expect from God, means to hope in God.

Psalm 62:5-8 says,

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

     Our hope comes from God. He alone is our rock and salvation. He alone is our refuge. When the storms of life come our way, Hebrews 6:19 says we have a hope "as an anchor for the soul." It holds us firm and steady. It holds us safe and secure. We have no need to fear. We have no need to worry. The God who controls the storms and seas is living inside of us. Even in the darkness. Even in the storms. Even when it feels like you are on the edge of heartbreak. We can't be shaken. We can't let our faith waver. We must patiently wait and eagerly anticipate. In this season of waiting for God's promises to be fulfilled, we must continue to hold tightly to the hope that anchors our souls, the only true hope we can ever place our expectations in. My soul waits only upon God, for my hope is in Him.